Carte Blanche For War

        On December 8, 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered an emotional and powerful speech to inform the Senate, Cabinet, and the people of the United States that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor without any provocation. With this speech, President Roosevelt convinced the United States that declaring war was the right thing to do and he motivated people to be strong and to prepare for the inevitable. His speech was hopeful, determined, and motivating. The reason why this speech has stood the test of time is because President Roosevelt simply delivered this speech, appealing to the emotions of the listener, by merely stating the obvious facts. Then he appeals to their sense of honor and patriotism to prove his claim. This speech was designed to leave people with no hesitation about declaring war on Japan.  The presentation was concise and to the point.  The facts were placed in a clear and understandable format that prompted Ara to give further explanation about the subject. Unlike other speeches, which are missing one or more rhetorical appeals, this speech seemed to have included all. Besides rhetorical appeals, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt seemed to use almost every literary device in this historical and memorable speech.